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Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Council hits water district, firm amid apology
By Danilo V. Adorador III
IN AN apparent response to the Ysalina Bridge uproar, Cagayan de Oro City councilors Tuesday agreed to study passing a law penalizing any construction firm involved in public works which fail to meet targeted project deadlines.
Still reeling from what it describes as "a clear act of defiance" when officials involved in the bridge repair did not appear in the previous session, the City Council also approved in first reading an ordinance making those who snob future summons as persona non-grata.
Persons declared "undesirable" are normally stripped of ordinary privileges given by the City Government, such as attending City Hall-sponsored activities.
At the session, officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways and Adhi VT Lao construction offered their respective apologies -- both citing personnel lapses as reason why their invitations did not reach the concerned officials.
Councilors hesitantly accepted the apology, but not without hurling brickbats to subdued, apologetic engineers Ricky Gellera and Norma Geronilla, VT Lao assistant project manager and DPWH assistant director respectively.
"I can't fully accept these explanations...I am a forgiving person but I don't easily forget. You just can't take it easy with this City Council," said a visibly irked Majority Floor Leader Edgar Cabanlas.
"Would you rather have this City Council give invitations through the radio?" inquired Councilor Juan Sia to Geronilla, in an apparent dig on the latter's explanation that she had only learned of the invitation through the radio.
Collection
Meanwhile, Gellera said his firm was confident to meet the June 15 deadline for the total opening of the bridge to vehicle traffic.
He also assured councilors that half of the bridge will be made accessible for vehicles on June 5 -- amid concerns that the opening of classes will further worsen the gridlock. Only Marcos Bridge now currently connects the city's west and east sections, while Ysalina's retrofitting works had only made it passable for pedestrians.
Should the constructor fail to meet the deadline, Councilor Jose Benjamin Benaldo threatened to press for the collection of P17 million performance bond or 10 percent of the total contract cost.
VT Lao has a P173 million contract with the National Government, covering the retrofitting works of 13 bridges throughout Northern Mindanao.
But Councilor Simeon Licayan insisted that a separate performance bond should be set for Cagayan de Oro, citing concerns on the crane way built by the VT Lao underneath the Ysalina Bridge.
He said the crane way obstructs the Cagayan de Oro river flow and failure to remove this would harm the eco-system of the river.
Substandard projects by private firms, however, can be best responded by criminalizing the act, Councilor Cabanlas said.
Though acknowledging that local government units are only allowed by law to impose minimal penalties, he said this will result in better services and good infrastructure works among firms in-charge of government projects.
(May 31, 2006 issue)
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